In the Shadow of the Crimson Moon
by silentdovesong
Summary: When a voice stops him cold, Demetri finds himself unable to stop pursuing the source and finds himself tangled in a situation that divides his loyalties in a way that he never expected. Demetri/OFC. Semi-Canon with liberties taken.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:

As always, anything you recognize I don't own unless you're a frequent reader of my works. This includes but is not limited to the Twilight books (which are as always owned by Ms. Meyers and her publishers). The music lyrics belong to their respective, credited it artists and or studios. I am merely borrowing all of these things to create a story for my own amusement. However, if you are a frequent reader of my fan-inspired works, then you will probably recognize some of my characters, or settings. Those belong to me, please don't steal them, if you want to borrow them - excellent just please inform me in PM or by email. I am only borrowing the copy written, owned and licensed material and I'm not making money, selling it or otherwise being profitable by this, I'm writing to entertain myself only. If you own these things and wish for me to stop, please again, send email, PM to contact me. Thank you.

Also, like many of my other projects this would not be possible without the constant encouragement, idea sharing and assistance of my best friend, oftentimes co-writer Kaashaa and another friend metallica1862.

In the Shadow of the Crimson Moon

By: silentdovesong

Chapter One

The streets of the nameless city in a country younger than I was were strangely void of people and yet a mere reach of sharp senses revealed that there were thousands upon thousands of them in the gods-forsaken gloom of the perpetual rain. My expensive leather boots moved silently along the wet pavement as the hood covered dark hair kept military-short and a pair of green-tinted glasses disguised my eyes though only care would mask the distended state of my incisors. I was Hungry in a city full of to-go platters of all sorts from the junkie I'd seen shooting up in the unclean waste of a back alley to the impeccably groomed pseudo-aristocrat in his penthouse suite.

I heard it as I rounded a corner, the tone decidedly female and yet the beat to the song was equally masculine and very obviously a recording without vocals. I knew from my reading the style was called karaoke and the neon green sign above the door was called Crimson Moon and the sign under it gave hours.

_I can't find the answers_

_I've been crawling on my knees_

_Looking for anything_

_To keep me from drowning_

_I'm running blind_

_Running blind (8x)_

_(Copyright: Running Blind; Godsmack)_

By the time my senses recovered, the voice was gone and I realized with a jolt that I had been staring at the sign long enough that I had two choices. I had to either enter the bar or move on. Unfortunately for me, if I entered I was placing myself in a predicament, there were far too many opportunities for a slip-up publicly that I could not afford, not if I wanted the relative freedom that I had been fortunate to gain recently from Volterra. I knew that Aro and the others were looking for any feasible excuse to summon myself and the others back and the last thing I wanted to do was spend another millennia more than a slave and not much better paid than a servant of a half-crazy manor lord.

Before I could change my mind, I opened the door and my senses were immediately assaulted by the noise level and the visual stimulation, even if the immediate gratification of not being further soaked to the core was welcome. I saw the tall blond with her hair in one of those elaborate pony-tail holders beckon me and I leaned close trying not to breathe in too richly because the scent of her blood flowing in her veins could become problematic, "Twenty cover charge, drinks are separately priced." She said holding out her hand for the payment "And everywhere but that corner station is free range, that's a private party."

I nodded and passed her the twenty dollar note before staking out a place that I could see most of the surroundings. I was careful to keep moving just a little, breathing wasn't an issue - I liked it, mainly because it aided in tracking anything that I might want to from another vampire to my next meal or whatever target one of the leaders of the Volturi had decided to send me after. This made me far less conspicuous than some of the others - I hated being sent with Felix for that very reason, he stuck out. One does not readily hide a creature, man or vampire roughly the size of a small mountain. Of course, if I desired it I did stand out as well, but tonight was one night I wanted to be out of the rain, and if I was lucky figure out what it had been that had stopped me so suddenly about a voice. If I was luckier, I'd figure it out without being noticed.

"Oh excuse me, sorry - sorry." A small female said as the crush of people all but threw her into my lap, "Didn't mean to." She looked up and I thought for a split second there was vague recognition on her face as I returned her look listening to the vocal speaking tone. I knew that women in general tended to speak in a tone similar to one they were singing in and this voice did not quite match the one that had completely distracted me, but it was close.

"No trouble." I replied moving slightly so that the nearby bartender could see her more clearly and take the order.

"Hey, Nikki I was wondering if you were still around." The bartender said smiling as he wiped his hands on a white towel.

"Midterms are evil." The young woman, Nikki I realized smiled at the bartender brightly and he returned it .

"So that's where you vanished off to, are you done with them and what can I get you and what's the deal with the redhead?"

"Leave the redhead alone, she's little but she's mean." Nikki laughed as she looked up at the menu, "I'm DD tonight so it's Dr. Pepper only for me and for her she said she wanted a surprise."

"That's dangerous in a place like this." The bartender grinned but nodded, "Mean you said, maybe a Brass Monkey'll settle her down. Think you'll get her back at the mic again tonight she was a showstopper the last time she came in?"

"I doubt it." I heard the woman's reply as the bartender poured the drink and passed the small glass and the taller glass of non-alcoholic soda. "But I'll see what I can do." She said heading to the table where I saw that a diminutive woman sat with her back to only one wall. The conversation between the two I could not hear directly but it was obvious at a glance that they knew each other well.

"Hey, you need something, pal or just looking over the ladies from up here?" The bartender asked as I turned around again to survey the space.

"Little bit of both," I answered looking at him through my glasses, I saw the curious look, "Good whiskey if you've got it and maybe a little information on who's who tonight."

"Whiskey I got some of the best," He answered reaching for one of the bottles. He poured a shot of the rich alcohol I could smell it as it poured from the bottle and nodded approvingly as he passed it to me. "The blond that near landed in your lap comes in usually couple times a month, sometimes drags the looker with the red hair in with her. It's obvious of the two who's the social one."

"Are they related?" I asked as I turned slightly in time to see the blond interacting with several others while someone else sang (badly and painfully I noticed with a wince) even as the redhead rose and said something to Nikki as the bartender had greeted her.

"Far as I know they're sisters," The bartender answered as the tiny woman wound her way through the crowd toward the bathrooms, "Tiny thing but a voice when she gets talked into a turn makes me and the boss a lot of money."

"Is that so?" I asked trying not to sound too very interested in the story. I turned and placed the now-empty glass on the bar with a grin, "Maybe you should talk her into it more often if you like the results so well." I said strolling to one of the corners where I could observe more and resist the Hunger more readily. I knew I had an hour maximum before I would have to find a meal and I wanted to see if I could figure out whose voice it had been to stop me so suddenly in my tracks.

I would manage to stay until closing time actually, and to my dismay the voice never appeared again which was just as well... I had no means to know what I would do if I heard it again anyway...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Absolutely not." Raina said flopping onto the chair in the apartment Nikki had been renting for the last few months, "If you really want to go out in that shitty, freezing-ass cold rain you knock yourself out I am not going."

"But you promised me!" Nikki protested not quite ready to give up and go alone, "Come on its been months and I am sure everyone's forgotten about that last time."

"Do I look like I was born yesterday?" Raina retorted looking at Nikki who grinned.

"Nah, the day before yesterday." Nikki laughed, ducking as Raina threw a couch pillow at her and it landed harmlessly behind her on the wood floor, "Pretty please, you promised you'd go out with me at least once this month and its almost over."

"There had better be coffee in this for me." Raina sighed getting up, "And if there's any funny business I'm kicking your ass more than your piss-poor excuse of a personal trainer does in the next practice."

"I'm sure I can get you one of those Irish coffees you liked so well or the Brass Monkey that seemed to take your nerves down a few notches."

"Now that's just delightful, I don't know if that's bribery or blackmail yet. I'll tell you later." Raina grumbled going for her coat, "After this you owe me."

"I always owe you something, besides for this I'll let you out of my next shopping trip." Nikki promised as they left the apartment and she locked the door.

The walk to the karaoke bar was uneventful and as always on a Friday and more so because for students, the local universities were through with finals. Nikki cringed as they walked in and saw the moving mass of people; under normal circumstances a Friday night wasn't a problem. Tonight, as they walked in certainly had a different charge to the evening like something was afoot and it probably wasn't good.

The whole space reeked of alcohol, sweat, urine and desperation all mixed in a putrid and pheromone soup that assaulted my sense of smell within seconds of entering and only grew stronger the later the hour became. There was a drink untouched on the table in front of me and I scanned the place trying to ignore the fact that too many males between twenty-one and twenty-twenty five were either half drunk, completely drunk or getting there. I'd picked that table because one I could see everywhere in the bar but also because I felt like it, the view of the door was ideal to see who was coming and going.

I caught the scent of someone familiar a split second before I saw her and unlike the last time I'd seen her the smaller redhead had appeared again. I caught the mildly annoyed expression to the redhead's face at the sheer number of people in the small space and wondered as her face went carefully blank a second later why it was almost as if she were turning off part of herself. I didn't have time to think on long because they were settling into a booth not far from me.

While I'd been distracted, the next person's turn had come and not quickly enough for my ears sake passed through the rendition of some miserable country song about some fool who obviously pissed off his current fling. I only hoped that it was just a song and that the wailing voice wasn't planning on butchering some poor innocent vehicle. In that time that my ears were bleeding, that is if they could, and I was reasonably sure they couldn't, the crush of people had somehow multiplied and even my senses were lightly dazzled by the combination of stimuli.

Because of that I didn't have a choice but to retreat back to the smoky, dim area to the far back end where I couldn't see the main floor but the probability of wearing someone's body fluid or drink was much less. Several of the pool tables had games in progress already and I was surprised given the assertion of the bartender of the smaller female's less sociable nature that the two weren't playing pool. It was busy still and a waitress moved through the area regularly carrying both new drinks and returning used glasses. However, the space despite the smell was slightly easier on my senses. I let my mind wander awhile as if to meditate on the fact that I had been, currently abstaining from my usual diet as best as I could.

_So I cross my heart and I hope to die  
That I'll only stay with you one more night  
And I know I said it a million times  
But I'll only stay with you one more night  
(Yeah, baby give me one more night)  
So I cross my heart and I hope to die (yeah, yeah)  
That I'll only stay with you one more night (yeah, yeah)  
And I know I said it a million times (yeah, yeah)  
But I'll only stay with you one more night (yeah, yeah)_

_(Copyright Maroon 5, One More Night)_

By the time my senses returned the song was in its final stanzas and the voice was back - I'd know that tone anywhere. I moved though the throng of people as inconspicuously as I could - I didn't dare take the chance that someone might be sober enough to recognize that I had moved too quickly. Unfortunately, by the time I had side-stepped and moved through the mess of people, the mike stand was empty, and the moving screen had the twirling changing ball-like thing on it that I associated with the changing of the songs. "Damnit," I muttered to myself as the presence I recognized as Nikki came close enough that I could pinpoint a location and looked toward it in time to hear her speaking.

"Come on let's go play a game of pool before you douse someone with their drink or something." She said and I saw the movement as she steered the small woman before her through crowd back toward where I was standing almost in the doorway. I had just enough time to move out of the way before the pair was entering the partially secluded area.

"If the jackass at the next table doesn't watch his hands wearing a Brass Monkey's going to be the least of his worries." The obviously irritated redhead quipped to Nikki as they passed me, which allowed me a moment to differentiate their distinct scents habitually.

"Just remember if you kill it I can't bail you out of jail." Nikki remarked as she picked up the pool cues from the rack while the other set the balls into the rack and removed it.

"Yeah, yeah I know you said that the last time it was a near-miss." the other remarked accepting the cue from Nikki. "Do you want to break or shall I?"

"You go on ahead, we both know you're going to kick my ass at this again anyway." Nikki answered with a laugh.

"Probably." There was no cockiness that I could detect as the waitress set a fresh whiskey down in front of me as I watched partly their interaction but also the group of guys around all of us.

It was immediately noticeable that the smaller redhead was the natural athlete of the two, her movements were reminiscent of a small, but very obviously predatory feline - in anyone else it would have been sex appeal for humans instead from the light step to the intense gaze of eyes that I saw were not brown as I initially guessed but a cool amber, were pure hunter. As I noticed this, I could sympathize wholly with the rather hands-y patron there was a definite subtle appeal to both of them, though I had a strong suspicion that the redhead could rip a man's face off without raising her voice. Or breaking a sweat. I silently bet myself on that one as she moved to sink several balls into the pockets calling out each one methodically as I found myself with a perfect rear view. _Okay, yeah pal I can understand the appeal, but that's one woman whose body language could freeze the balls off a rutting bull._ I thought to myself as she went past I raised the whiskey glass to my lips and quirked my brow at the blond.

"Didn't your momma teach you manners?" She inquired though I saw that it was more concern that was on her face than anger, "Cool it though, I have hell getting her to come here and here's a whole lot safer than some of the other clubs."

"Actually, she once told me that window shopping was free and fair but it was the touching without intent to buy was going to cause me to lose my hand one day." I answered coolly watching her pale gaze.

"Fair enough, just don't like drool or something good god." The remark was sarcastic as she headed back to the pool table to finish resetting the rack.

It was fascinating to watch the easygoing nature of one slowly wear down the nerves and the anxiety of the second. I waited until they had finally wandered back into the main area before doing so at least two or three ear-torturing songs later in time to actually witness what the bartender had been talking about.

I had taken my usual seat at the bar when it was clear that the slight female had lost some sort of bet or something because she wasn't pleased about it, as she perused the selections. It was almost like being slapped with the annoyance even as far as I was from them and wisely Nikki backed away as the other picked a song.

"Here we go, now we're talking some business up here." I heard the soft murmur of the bartender as he readied several glasses and cleaned off the counters habitually polishing it, at least to my estimation. "You ready for that last whiskey, there pal?" The bartender made his living by making associations between people and their chosen drinks.

"Sure, why not." I answered as the scratchy sound of an older song began creeping through the speakers from their area.

_I go out walking after midnight  
Out in the moonlight just like we used to do  
I'm always walking after midnight searching for you  
I walk for miles along the highway  
Well that's just my way of saying I love you  
I'm always walking after midnight searching for you  
I stopped to see a weeping willow  
Crying on his pillow maybe he's crying for me  
And as the skies turn gloomy  
Night winds whisper to me I'm lonesome as I can be  
I go out walking after midnight out in the starlight  
Just hoping you may be somewhere walking after midnight searching for me  
I stopped to see a weeping willow  
Crying on his pillow maybe he's crying for me  
And as the skies turn gloomy  
Night winds whisper to me I'm lonesome as I can be  
I go walking after midnight out in the starlight  
Just hoping you maybe somewhere walking after midnight searching for me_

_(Patsy Cline - I Go Walking After Midnight, copyright Sony)_

Chills ran up my spine and then back down as the first stanza of music were passing and her voice warmed to the song. There was innately a bluesy sort of tint to her voice anyway and the song's melancholy twist certainly lowered the sonic boom that I had been searching out.

"Now that's a voice, too bad she'll only willingly go once or twice during a whole night." The bartender sighed wistfully as the throng of people filtered away quietly leaving me to myself. Now I had a face, to go with the voice that had been enough to nearly drop me to my knees.

Now it was time to let it go. I decided and for the sake of habit waited to closing time to leave with the stragglers and the mostly inebriated bad singers. I slipped into the fray silently and kept myself moving with the slightest of staggers reminiscent of either someone just a hair tipsy or fatigued given that it was in fact three in the morning.

I could still just catch the scent of the pair as I exited the karaoke bar and turned a corner actually planning on heading to my hotel where I could "sleep" a few hours when I heard the hyped-up rapid speech that I associated with the sound of a methamphetamine addict. "Gimme your wallet or I'll cut you so deep that it'll fall into my hands." It was obvious that he was high as a red kite to my ears as I heard the quiet, viciously cold reply in a female voice that I recognized.

"There'll be a cold day in hell before you get that blade within an inch of my body." the next inhale of breath revealed which of the two - the redhead I knew simply because the scent was stuck eternally in my head and I wished for a moment I had a name to call out with.

"Sure, bitch sure." Even I could hear the escalation of the excited arousal of the junkie as I rounded a second corner and stayed out of sight of both of them to observe - and interfere an idea which startled me into further silence as he advanced the knife jabbing forward awkwardly. "Now gimme it and there's a wise girl doesn't want to die to-day." His speech was deteriorating into the withdrawal rapid speed as she appeared to toss a wallet but I realized too late she didn't instead she swatted the blade out of his hand, clattering it to the ground as her second hand struck him across the face and in the midst of his spin shoved him toward the wall and pounced catlike against his back.

"Here's one free tip for you, jackhole. Don't try to rob a black belt." She hissed in his ear and I saw that she had knocked his junk out of his pocket and even I heard the grinding crunch of a booted foot on the fragile glass as she bounced away from him heading toward my direction when the enraged junkie spun wildly and lunged in her direction.

"Look out!" I called out as the stinking junkie's hands caught her by the shoulder and I saw the intent - and well executed intended flip only sent both of them flying though he landed harder she was somewhat frightened, it twisted the smell to the air around the alley to a more electric charge that sent my heightened senses to full alert.

Inexplicably I reached out and grabbed the stinking man by the shirt as he aimed to pass me and shoved him roughly onto his backside (which was still kinder than what my instinct to do was still to sink my fangs into his neck) and heard the bone crunching landing and crouched honed by instinct watching as the man sat up dizzy and bloodshot eyes focused on me.

"What's your problem man she took my shit. More, she broke it!" The junkie was enraged and I couldn't quite rationalize why I was giving the female a chance to get out of sight, though from me there was no hiding - I could hear the hummingbird pace of her heart and the breathless sound of her lungs fighting to regain control over breathing was loud in my ears.

"Hard to be sympathetic dude when I heard your comment to her." I retorted hearing my own vaguely Italian accent slipping through the carefully spoken English.

"Come on man you saw her, broke my shit." The junkie protested again, like so many I had seen through the years, unable to move past the fact of his paraphernalia being broken by her foot.

"Keep coming at me and that stupid-ass fool pipe I stepped on is not going to be the only thing broken around here." I heard the irritation, more I felt it richly as the female appeared again and I didn't have to look at her to sense that she was standing near the wall. "If you're so intent on it, let's play leapfrog."

_I can't tell if she's brave or stupid._ I thought to myself as the enraged man ran at her and I saw the movement as it happened thanks to keen sight. He had a second knife - I didn't know if she had seen it - I had but my sight was sharp even in dark night - and it slashed at the diminutive creature and I heard the hiss of fury almost as the coppery tang of blood snaked through my senses.

However, I was surprised to see that the junkie went flying backward and landed roughly with a dazed yell at my feet as the woman stood with one hand clamped over her arm where the blade had sliced into her forearm. "Now then let's go over this again, Einstein you're not getting my money, I'm not sorry and you're a dumb shit." I could feel the irate tones in her voice as I wrestled with my own instincts - she would taste like a fine wine on the tongue and I found that as much as I wanted to silence that yen I didn't want to lose the hypnotic voice that had stopped me to start with.

Apparently the need for a fix had overtaken the junkie's paranoid brain as he forgot apparently that I was there and I lunged to grab him and flung him using perhaps a fraction of my strength to do so, the bone-snapping crunch against the brick made it clear he wasn't getting up this time. That was a good thing, though it left me vulnerable to the blood that was pooling under her hand.

"Okay, thanks uh I guess but I gotta go get this taken care of before I bleed all over the damn fool place and really draw the dogs or something."

I made the mistake- and oh did I ever as I stood in the yellowish circle of the streetlight and I realized it too late to undo the damage - the cool amber of her gaze at such a distance darkened to something that teetered on anger and there was no fear, pain certainly in the scent but no fear, as her eyes focused on me."You need to have that arm stitched." I said forcing myself to be calm as I knew the look, recognition flaring across her features.

"Just so we're clear, I'm off your menu, pal I'd give a blood-luster like you heartburn if you still had a heart." There was so little fear in her voice that I was taken aback momentarily by the brutal honesty to her tone.

I tensed slightly, bending to tear a small strip from the junkie's shirt and tied it around the smaller woman's arm, "Okay you can explain that while we head to onward." I stopped looking at the woman, "My first guess is you want to find your sister right?" I added knowing that it might be impossible to get the woman to the hospital without the blonde she was with.

"Before she flips a lid because I've gone missing on her again?" The redhead spouted back though any idiot could notice that she was reacting more from the pain in her arm than anything else. "Not that I really want to go to a hospital and explain this little gem." She remarked glaring at her still-bleeding forearm.

I nodded, "Then to your home it is then." I said as I helped her to leave the ally, "Which way is it?" I asked lowly.

She bristled openly but relented after a moment to answer carefully pointing in the appropriate direction, "That way a couple blocks, we walk most nights especially if one of us is going to drink its smarter."

I nodded, "That's a smart idea." I answered as we walked incomplete silence for a while. I finally began to get edgy and asked, "How do you know about vampires?" I made my voice low enough the redhead was the only one that heard the question.

The grin was dark and in the light her color was pale, faintly yellowed as she kept pace with me, "You are not my first rodeo, pal though I daresay the last one was a bit put out over being told to bugger off."

I nodded worried over her color and the words she'd spoke. Who could she have met that made her say that. I must have spoken aloud cause I saw her turn her face toward me, "Sorry where were we?" I'd hoped she'd forget what she'd heard though if I knew my luck it wasn't happening.

"Of course he didn't much seem used to being told 'no'." The musing tone was thoughtful for a moment before answering my question, "Turn left here and then two blocks down on Ridgeway cross over and half a block down is the house."

I nodded and we made our way rather quickly toward the street she spoke of. "Okay now which -" I was interrupted by an abrupt shout and I looked to see the blonde making her way with two people toward me. I tensed. Now I knew how she'd known what I was cause coming with the blonde was two of the Cullens.

"Apparently my little meeting with the moron didn't escape her notice or else she picked up on you." The redhead retorted as the distance was closed nearly exactly halfway as both she and I, and they arrived at the same place nearly simultaneously and it was a standoff to see who would actually speak first.

"Raina are you okay?" Nikki asked looking at my arm before leveling a gaze on me that was open suspicion.

"He hasn't done nothing, but the junkie with the concussion probably thinks I'm the biggest demon his meth-addled brain's ever seen." Raina, I realized had been her name spoke up, "Though if this requires stitches I might go back and kick him some more."

Carlisle looked over at her, "Let's get you inside out of this freezing weather and I'll look at that." He smiled at me, "Thank you Demetri for helping her. I'm afraid that if you hadn't Nikki would have lost her temper and the city would have been in a bad way."

I nodded at him, "I was glad to be of service." I noticed the smile the younger blonde, Nikki, Carlisle had called her gave me.

"Please come with us to the house. I'm sure that you probably don't need to be seen either and you need to clean up." I looked down noticing the blood on my hands from holding the shirt in place finally nodding in acceptance of the offer.

It was probably not my wisest decision, but then again... the night had been full of spontaneous decisions after all. And it might eventually reveal whom the small creature had bluntly told off, something I suspected was not out of character already.


End file.
